Top 10 Most Beautiful Flowers in the World

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"Flowers... are a proud assertion that a ray of beauty outvalues all the utilities of the world." - Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1844

Below are images of some of the most beautiful flowers in the world. It was hard narrowing down the list to 10 but it had to be done. The choices were based on various polls and surveys on the net and similar blog articles. Besides, they say, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Enjoy.

The bird of paradise (Strelitzia reginae) is an exotic flower that is native to South Africa. Because of the flower's resemblance to a colorful bird in flight, the name was aptly coined. The flower, which blooms from September through May, is a popular design element in gadens.

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The calla lily (Zantedeschia aethiopica) prefers to live in ponds or banks of rivers and streams. The flower's spathe can expand up to 10 inches while the yellow spadix can grow to a length of 4 inches. The plant is a native to southern Africa.

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Nothing is more beautiful than the arrival of Spring in Japan when the cherry blossoms (Prunus serrulata) trees are in full bloom. Though the blossoms could aslo be found in other east Asian countries like China and Korea, Japan has the most varieties. Sakura is the traditional name for the flowers.

The dahlia is a genus native to Central America, Colombia and Mexico and they are characterized as bushy, tuberous and perennial plants. The plant was named after the botanist Anders Dahl. There are roughly 30 species and at least 20,000 cultivars.

The oriental poppy (Papaver orientale) is a perennial and contrary to what its name suggest is not a native to the Orient but to Turkey - in Caucasus. The plant thrives during droughts and summers because it totally sheds it foliage. The flower also comes in white, pink, red and mutlicolored.

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From the genus Rosa, the rose is a woody perennial shrub whose varieties' stems are often thorned. Most species are found in Asia but it is generally well distributed all over the world. Roses are considered one of the most beautiful ornamental plants to decorate any garden.

Above: English roses

Right: Amber flush rose

The stargazer (Lillium stargazer) belongs to the lily family, particularly the Oriental group of lilies. Other than it's attractive colors and overall appearance, this species is known for its heady and fragrant perfume. The flower, which blooms during the summer season can spead up to 16 inches across with, at the most, 5 flowers on a stem.

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The tulip (from the genus Tulipa) is one of the most cultivated flowers in the world as it is distributed from Southern Europe to Africa to Asia. Most of its hybrids are grown in pots and are a popular fresh-cut flowers. Although the Dutch are the usual suspects when it comes to breeding the species, the first commercial cultivation of the plant actually happened in Iran.

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The waling-waling (Euanthe sanderiana, originally named Vanda sanderiana) is so beautiful it is considered the Philippines' Queen of Flowers. The species is endemic to Mindanao in the Philippines and comes in pink and white forms. It belongs to the orchid family.

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The white lotus (Nymphaea lotus) is called the Egyptian white waterlily or the tiger lotus. The species comes from the Nymphaeaceae family and grows in various parts of Southerast Asia and East Africa. The blossoms float on water with the support of its lily pads. The white lotus is also a popural pond and aquarium plant.